Loop cutter chain guide and drive structure



J. F.- JOY Nov. 6, 195

2,769,627 LOOP CUTTER CHAIN GUIDE AND DRIVE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Nov. 6, 1950 fimezzior: Jaseplz fiJay. WW, 422027269 J.F. JOY

Nov. 6, 1956 2,769,627 LOOP CUTTER QHAIN GUIDE AND DRIVE STRUCTURE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Fil'ed Nov. 6 1950 i i view- Y [www.502- JasepZzLfi/Qy.

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United States Patent LOOP CUTTER CHAIN GUIDE AND DRIVE STRUCTURE Joseph1*. Joy, Pittsburgh, Pa.,.assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original applicationNovember 6, "1950, Serial No. 194,259. Divided and this applicationDecember 12, 1952,.Serial No. 325,652

2 Claims. (Cl. 26229) This invention relates to mining apparatus andmore particularly 'to aguide mounting and drive structure for theendless loop cutter chain of a coal mining apparatus of the square faceloop cutter type.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mining apparatus.Another object is to provide an improved guide mounting and drivestructure for an endless loop type cutter chain. Yet another object isto provide an improved mining apparatus of the square face loop cuttertype having anopen centered, rectangular frame and improved cuttingmeans in the form of an endless loop cutter guided for circulation aboutthe rectangular frame and having improved driving means for the endlessloop cutter. A further object is to provide animproved endless loop typecutter chain and an open centered guide frame about which the cutterchain is guided for circulation'in an orbital path and'having improveddriving meansfor the cutter chain. A still further object is to provide'an improved endless loop type cutter chain having teeth on certain ofits links and a toothed drive wheel engaging the link teeth for drivingthe chain. Still another object is to :provide an improved rectangularguide frame structure for an endless loop cutter chain. These .and otherobjects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter morefully appear.

This application is a division of my copending app1ication,iSerial No.194,259, filed November -6, 1950.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustrationone form which the invention may assume in practice. i

In these drawings:

"Fig. 1 is a plan view of a miningapparatus in which an illustrativeform of the invention is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1, illustrating a portion of the cutter chain drive. i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 3-3ofFig. 2, withparts omitted to facilitate illustration. V V

Fig. -'4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the plane of Fig.2, showing the cutter chain and its guide.

The mining apparatus in which the invention is embodied is herein of thesquare face loop cutter type and generally comprises a portable base 1which may be of any suitable type for moving the apparatus over thefloor of a mine both during the cutting and dis lodging operation andduring maneuvering and tramming of the apparatus, and carried by thebase is a main frame 2. The main frame 2 carries a conventional motor 3,arranged horizontally and longitudinally of the main frame, and mountedon the forward portion of the main frame in a transverse uprightposition across the front end of the apparatus is a rectangular,open-cen- 'tered guide frame 4 providing a guideway 5 in which anendless loop cutter 6 is guided for circulation in an orbital path. Theguide frame is herein of laterally elongated, generally rectangularshape and :has .a rectangular central opening .7. Also arranged 'onthemain framezin advance of the motor z-is aigearihousingfi and extendingbetween'theztoppfithe guide frame 4, centrally between the .sides of thelatter, and the top of the .gear housing is a brace arm or strut :9which rigidly braces the upper portion of the :guide frame.

The endless loop cutter 15, which travels along .a rec- 'tangularorbital path about the guide frame, is in the form of a pivoted slinkcritter chain comprising a series of chain blocks 10ipi-votallyconnected bypivot elements or studs 11 to intermediate-strap links 12.As shown most clearly in "Fig. 3, :the "chain iblOCkS comprise outerplates 13 and :inner plates 14 secured together by the studs and the"studs haveintermedia'tezenlarged cylindrica'l portions 15 providing:opposed shoulders and spacing the inner zandouter'plates',-and a nut16is threaded on the outer threaded portion-of each stud to hold :theplates in rigidspaced relation with the intermediate strap links 12pivotally engagingatheenlarged intermediate portions of the studs. fBheouter plates 'have lateral lugs 17 in which cutter bits 18 are mounted.Theloop cut- :ter chain per se is fully :disclosed in my copendingapplication, :Sen'alNo. 217,332, filed .March 24, 1951, which is acontinuation-impart nf-application Serial No. 194,259 mentioned above.

The inner plates "14 of the chain blocks of the endless loop cutter haveteeth 19 which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, areengage'dhy the teethof a large horizontal spur .gear or toothedelement20. :As shown Fin Fig.2, the motor 3 -has keyed to :its power shaft 21 'a bevel pinion 22Imeshing with a large zbev'elrgear 23 secured :to avertical shaft 24suitably :journaled for rotation within the gear :housing 8. Secured tothe :shaft 24, above the beveled :gear 23, is a-spur pinion '25 meshingwith and'drivinga large spur .gear 26 having its hub suitably 'journaledon -a vertical shaft 21, "the :latter in :turn being suitably journa'ledfor rotation -with the :gear housing. A conventional sliding ftoothed orgear :clutch 28 is shiftable by .a shifteryoke 29 for-connecting thegear-hub to the shaft 27. This shiftersyoke is provided with suitableoperating connections including [an operating handle .30 (Fig. 1)conveniently located exterior-1y of the :gear housingeat :OIIB side "ofthe machinefram'e. Keyed ito the lower end of the shaft 27 and arrangedinia'horizontal gear chamber 31 formed within the lower portion of i'themain frame is 'a spur, gear132 which engages and drives the largezspurgear 20. The gear 20, as shown in Fig. 2, is arranged in the gearchamber 3:1;and the guide frame is Ihorizontally recessed or cut away at33 so that the :gear 2t) may extend forwardly into driving engagementwith rthe .teeth on the endless cutterachain. Thus, when the clutch 28is connected, Ethe loop cutter chain 26 may be rapidly circulated alongits rectangular-shaped orbital :pathabout the guideway of therectangular eguide frame '4.

, .As the machine is advanced toward the coal Eface during the miningfoperation, the :endless loop cutter chain cuts out a rectangular coreof coal which enters the open center of the rectangular guide frame andas the core is formed a pair of wedge type breaker devices or coalbursters 35 and associated drills 36, which are mounted on and extendlongitudinally of the main frame, penetrate the core and break away ordislodge the same with a wedging or bursting action and the dislodgedcore falls in fragments onto a horizontal receiving plate 37 from whichit is conveyed by an endless flight conveyor 38, the latter moving thedislodged coal upwardly and rearwardly of the apparatus to a convenientpoint of delivery remote from the coal face. Since the breaker wedgedevices and drills and their mode of operation are fully disclosed inthe copending application Serial No. 194,259 above referred to and donot per se enter into the present invention further description thereofis, herein unnecesfour coacting parts rigidly secured as byscrews42,-cer- 'tain of which are shown in Fig. 1, vengaging lugs 43 on 'theadjacent joining ends of the parts. The horizontal receiving plate 37overlies and provides'the top of the gearchamber 31' (Fig. '2) andflares'out laterally at 44 at its forward portion to' substantiallythefull width of the'cutter frame and has upright side retaining walls 45secured to the upright side frameiparts 40 of-the guide frame '4. Thebottom cross. frame part provides a 'straight'portion 41' ofthe'guideway for the bottom run of the loop cutter chain, and the bottomguideway portion has a plane surface 42 along which the chain moves atthe point of contact of the teeth of the gear 20 with the chain-teeth19. The plane guideway surface provides a backing surface againstwhichthe chain reacts during meshing contact of the gear-teeth with thechain-teeth.

The general mode of operation of the improved mining apparatus is fullydisclosed in the copending application Serial No. 194,259 mentionedabove and therefore detailed description thereof is herein unnecessary.During runmng of the motor 3 with the clutch 28 connected,

the endless loop' cutter chain 6 may be rapidly circulated in itsorbital path on its guide frame through the bevel gearing 22, 23, spurgearing 25, 26, vertical shaft 27 and' spur gearing 32 and 20, the teethof the latter en'- gaging the teeth 19 on certain'of the links of thecutter of such width as to receive said guide frame, saidguide framebeing laterally elongated and comprising upright side frame members andtop and bottom cross frame members, said frame members having rearwardlylocated lugs near their adjacentjoining ends and detachable securingelements engaging said lugs for securing said frame members together,said securing elements arranged in longitudinal parallelism with andrearwardly of said chain. The driving gearing is completely housedwithin the machine and is compactly arranged within the lower portion ofthe machine frame and is so positioned as to efliciently effect drive ofthe cutter chain without restricting the passage of the core ofcoal intothe open center of the rectangular cutter frame. By forming the drivingteeth integral with certain of the links of the endless cutter chain andby arranging the driving gear in the manner disclosed with its teeth indirect driving contact with the'chain teeth, a powerful and effectivedriveis provided. Other advantages of the invention willtbe clearlyapparent to thoseskilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one 'formWhich-the invention'may assume in practice, it will be understoodthat-this form of the same is shown for purposes; of illustration andthat the invehtion'may be modified and embodied in various other formswithout, departing from its spirit or'the 'scopeof the appended claims.f

What I claim'as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: t r {'I 1a 1. In a mining apparatus, a support having an opencenteredrectangular" guide frame mounted in a transverse upright position'ontheforward portion of said support, said upright frame having 'a guidewayabout its margin, and an endless loop cutter chain guided for orbitalcirculation along said guideway, said chain having forwardly locatedcuttersarranged to cut. a kerf cross frame members close to the latter.

2.1m a mining apparatus, a base frame having an open-centeredrectangular guide frame mounted in a transverse upright position on theforward portion of said base frame, said upright frame having a guidewayextending thereabout, an endless loop cutter chain guided for orbitalcirculation along said guideway, said chain having forwardly locatedcutters arranged to cut a kerf in the mineral of a solid mine vein, saidcutters beingof such Width as to form a kerf for receiving said guideframe as cutting'progresses, said guide frame having a transverse bottomhorizontal portion for 'receiving' mineral dislodged from the mine vein,said base frame having a lower portion underlying and supporting saidhorizontal portion of said guide frame, a horizontal plate overlying andsecured to said horizontal bottom portion of said guide frame, saidlower portion of said base frame and said plate entering the kerf formedby said cutters as the apparatus advances, the top of said horizontalupper plate disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of theopening at the center of said rectangular guide frame, said base framehaving a horizontal chamber ar- I projecting through said last mentionedopening, said gear having peripheral gear.teeth, and gear teeth on saidchain with which said gear has driving engagement, the

chain gear teeth moving along a straight path disposed tangential ofsaid gear and the teeth of said gear lying in horizontal planes parallelwith the top surface of said upper plate. w

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS"689,242

Stutt Dec.'17, 1901 923,713 Schwarting June 1, 1909 1,443,578 Kline Jan.30, 1923 1,507,421 Peale v Sept. 2, 1924 1,585,916 Holmes May 25, 19261,903,771 Bowman Apr. 18, 1933 2,093,448 Joy Septy21, 1937 2,246,225 VanEtten June'l7, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 6, 1952

